Youth Conditioning and Development Discussion http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:51:32 +0000 65 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1791 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:51:32 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1791 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1285
It doesn't.

In fact, it starts a lot earlier than that. Let's start by having you take a look at this short video clip: http://completeathletedevelopment.com/repo...ordination.html

Did that look like just basic 'jump rope' to you?

Well... It wasn't.

At least not really.

You see, Schann, the essence of building the complete athlete starts in the early years of life - around 6 - 13.

And it starts with general stimulus activities like jump rope.

Let me explain.

Just like in school, the ability of a student to progress on to advanced subject matter and really excel in things like Math and English, is entirely based on the basic education they received when they were young.

You may remember me talking about needing to know how to 'add' before you can learn calculus in the 'Speed & Agility Equation' article you received yesterday.

During the early phases of growth, the human body is like a sponge.

It is constantly trying to learn, understand and become 'good' at certain things. As we develop and grow over time, what we experienced early on (and hopefully became good at) sets the building blocks or foundation that allows us to excel at other things.

Does that make sense?

Let's put it into a sporting perspective.

A lot of Coaches believe that in order to excel in soccer or baseball for example, you must play, practice, think and breathe those sports 24 hours a day, 12 months a year starting when you are very young.

And nothing could be farther from the truth.

What you have to understand about sports in general is that although we may see them as specific activities requiring specific skills, they are nothing more than general skills that are being applied in a specific way.

Let's take soccer for example.

Soccer players are among the most talented athletes in the world as far as I am concerned. And to play soccer well, you need to excel at certain physical attributes:

a. Dribbling a ball
b. Powerful kicking motion
c. Quickness
d. Vision for the field of play

But those physical attributes are not specific to soccer, necessarily.

They are generalized athletic skills that can and should be developed in ALL YOUNG ATHLETES.

Look at that same list from a different perspective:

a. Dribbling a ball:
Fine motor skill and foot/eye coordination.

b. Powerful kicking motion:
Ability to produce and transfer force.

c. Quickness:
Agility, which involves proper deceleration and acceleration skills.

d. Vision for the field of play:
Visual acuity, depth perception and other common vision-based skills.

Those skills aren't ONLY developed through soccer.

They CAN and SHOULD be developed through a process of basic athletic development and then APPLIED to soccer.

Guaranteeing athletic success isn't anything more than just making sure that your young athletes start learning, playing and enjoying basic elements of sporting skills at a young age.

When youngsters experience a wide variety of athletic stimulus (sports, games, etc) at a young age, they automatically enhance their level of coordination.

So 'Step 3' of our '7-Step Plan' is based on one thing...

Coordination Development.

Have a look at that video clip one more time:

http://completeathletedevelopment.com/repo...ordination.html

That 'basic' game of jump rope is actually a very important exercise that helps build coordination in kids.

It serves to increase their natural ability to express timing (rhythm) and really gets them understanding how to coordinate their upper and lower body movements at the same time.

In Complete Athlete Development, I show you literally DOZENS of different games and exercises that you can use with your young athletes in order to enhance their coordination.

And remember, just because an exercise or drill isn't 'specific' to a certain sport, doesn't mean that it won't make a young athlete better in soccer, baseball or anything else for that matter.

Never forget...

The best PLAYERS are always the best ATHLETES.

Here's what Justine Robinson in Michigan had to say about the "Coordination Development" section inside Complete Athlete Development:

The results I have seen with Brian's 'Coordination Development' program have been absolutely unbelievable! Not only have I seen dramatic changes in my young athlete's rhythm and 'on-field awareness', but so have their parents.

Some of my young athletes have gone from finishing dead last at tournaments to placing in the top 3 - in only 4 weeks of using Brian's techniques!

No one and I mean NO ONE understands how to train young athletes better than Brian Grasso and following his guidelines is the single smartest career decision I have ever made.

Brian Grasso
Developing Athletics]]> Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:40:44 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1285 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1276
http://www.completeathletedevelopment.com/...tep2-speed.html

In it, I reveal parts 2 and 3 of my secret 6-Part plan for developing the fastest and most agile athletes in the game. Producing incredibly fast and agile young athletes isn't as easy as some people make it out to be. But it's not that hard or complex, either.

Speed and agility isn't about running on treadmills or through ladders. It's about teaching young athletes HOW to move, accelerate and decelerate properly. All you have to understand is where to start. And that's part of the problem. Almost every Trainer and Coach I know talks about speed and agility from a 'acceleration' perspective.

How you can get your young athletes to move faster and hit top speed most quickly.

But the reality of speed and agility training is that DECELERATION skills are much more valuable and need to be taught and perfected first. If a young athlete knows how to stop and change directions well, they are guaranteed to be the quickest player on the field or court.

Basketball players don't run top speed in a straight line. Neither do football players, baseball players, soccer players, tennis players or volleyball players either. To be good at any of those sports, athletes need to be able to get to a position quickly, make a play, decelerate, recover and change directions with lightening like ability.

And you won't ever develop those skills by simply 'learning' to run in a straight line or executing endless ladder and cone drills. Teaching speed and agility is a matter of having a sensible sequence of skills that young athletes can learn, master and perform with great technique.

And like I mentioned above, that all starts with learning how to decelerate.

There are three basic types of deceleration:

a. Lateral (athletes moving from side to side)

b. Linear (athletes moving from front to back)

c. Angular (athletes moving in diagonal lines)

Think about the sporting application - Tennis players move laterally to make a shot. Football players move in a linear way to take on a block. Volleyball players move angularly to dig a ball or make a pass. And there are even more sports (including the 3 I already named) that require athletes to decelerate in all 3 ways.

Teaching speed is not unlike teaching Math or English. Before you can perform calculus, you need to know how to add. Before you can write creative essay's, you need to understand how to use commas and periods. With speed and agility, BEFORE you start having young athletes go through ladder, cone or treadmill drills, you need to teach them how to decelerate well.

Once they have that down, you can teach them how to accelerate and reach top end speed. Teaching deceleration is simple - all you need is a plan. Like anything else in life, you start with the basics and build on them over time. When teaching how to decelerate from a lateral, linear or angular position, I always follow the same 6-Step plan:

1. Repeat Statically
2. Repeat Dynamically
3. Repeat Randomly
4. Predictable Specificity
5. Random Specificity
6. Individualization

Each of these steps builds on the last and adds variables that make the drill more complex and involved. For example:

- Addition of more movement prior to 'hitting' a deceleration

- Addition of faster movements prior to 'hitting' a deceleration

- Addition of randomized cues and signals

- Addition of teammates or opponents

As your young athletes gain skill in learning how to decelerate, it is absolutely critical that you add challenging 'additions' like the ones I mentioned above. This will keep them learning and gaining skill until they have 100% mastered the entire sequence.

Once your athletes understand the skills necessary for deceleration, you can teach them how to accelerate and reach top end speed from virtually any position.

And that, Schann, is the secret to speed and agility training! Rome wasn't built in a day. It takes time and a proper strategy for producing the fastest and most agile athletes around.

But once you have a system... Look out!

Here's an example of what one Personal Trainer experienced after he started implementing the Speed & Agility portion of my Complete Athlete Development system into his training sessions:

*****************************************************************

When I read Brian's 'Speed & Movement Techniques' chapter contained in his Complete Athlete Development Program, I knew that I was on to something very special.

When I watched the corresponding DVD's, I realized in an instance that the techniques and progressions he was showing were going to make my athletes the fastest and most agile in the game.

I was right!

These are the most groundbreaking techniques I have ever seen - but also the simplest program to follow.

If you think that speed and agility training is about ladder, cone, bungee cord or sled drills, than you are going to be unbelievably surprised and impressed with how basic and simple drills, without any equipment at all, will make your athletes the fastest in the game - just like I was!

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=658366]]> Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:05:42 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1276 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1275
I hope you also noticed that my groundbreaking 'Complete Athlete Development System' is now available for a MASSIVE discount. Order right now and save a whopping 25%!

Here's that video clip:

http://www.completeathletedevelopment.com/...1-coaching.html

You know, it seems that all anyone wants to have are sample programs.

What should I do for this athlete?

How should I train this team?

And those are great questions that I will be answering over the next couple of days for you, but the fact remains that COACHING and knowing how to COMMUNICATE SUCCESS is the #1 factor in building the complete athlete. That's why I'm starting with it.

Let's get going by having you answer this question -

Do cookie-cutter approaches ever work?

I mean, when you go to the bank, doctor or pharmacy, you DEMAND and EXPECT to be treated like an individual, don't you? You require the person in front of you to listen to your concerns and respond with appropriate feedback that reflects your needs. What good would it do you if the bank teller withdrew $100 from your savings account if you were trying to make a deposit? Or if the doctor wanted to measure your cholesterol levels, even though you came in because of a sore throat?

How would that make you feel?

Annoyed? Frustrated?

Would you go back to the doctor a second time after being treated like that? The same thing applies to training young athletes and knowing how to get the best out of them during each and every training session or game. You have to understand what they NEED from you.

And if you miss Step 1, than the rest of the 7-Step Plan just doesn't matter.

Look at it from this perspective. The young athlete you are training or coaching is shy and reserved. They are not terribly talented and feel very insecure about their abilities. Do you really think that being loud and forceful when you're talking to them will work? Do you honestly believe that by pressuring them and giving them expectations for performance is going to 'make' them succeed?

Let me answer the questions for you...

NO!

Here's the core secret of Step 1:

YOU CAN'T COACH ALL YOUNG ATHLETES THE SAME WAY.

That's right. If you want to get the best out of each of your athletes, you need to understand what motivates them to succeed. Guess what that shy, quiet and reserved kid hears when you start yelling and placing expectations on him to perform...

"Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah"

Seriously! It just goes in one ear and out the other. And it never stops amazing me how many Coaches and Trainers out there spend all their time yelling, screaming and pressuring young athletes to perform. A 'one-size-fits-all' approach to coaching just doesn't work. You want the best out of your athletes? You want each training session and game to be their very best? Then you NEED to understand how different young athletes respond to different coaching styles.

Here's a basic example of the Coaching Template I teach you in Complete Athlete Development.

4-Styles of Athletes -

1) High Motivation/High Skill

These athletes are great at everything and eager to work hard.

2) Low Motivation/High Skill

These athletes are very talented, but have lost their desire to succeed... and it's up to you to re-instill that.

3) High Motivation/Low Skill

These athletes love to work hard, but have very limited talent. How do you get the best out of them and help them become better and better?

4) Low Motivation/Low Skill

These athletes are less talented than everyone else and don't seem to have the desire to get any better. What do you do?

Four very unique categories. With four separate and very unique coaching strategies.

The answer, by the way, to how you coach each of these athletes is:

1) Delegate
2) Inspire
3) Guide
4) Direct

These coaching strategies have proven to work for me in several different countries and with over 10,000 young athletes. Miss Step 1, Schann and you can literally kiss everything else goodbye.

It all starts with making sure your young athletes aren't hearing, "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah". Re-watch that short video clip and see how I coach each of those young athletes differently. It will make all the difference in the world to the success of your athletes and teams.

Here's that link again -

http://www.completeathletedevelopment.com/...1-coaching.html

The footage on that clip is from a 60 minute DVD contained in my Complete Athlete Development package. It shows you everything you need to know about Step 1 to Building the Complete Athlete. And if you aren't convinced that learning the exact methods for how to motivate any young athlete in any sport is the important part of Building the Complete Athlete, then this next paragraph is for you.

Pat Rigsby is known as one of the most decorated Trainers anywhere in the world. He has been the Head Coach of a College baseball team, the Head Strength
Coach to numerous collegiate athletes and trained hundreds upon hundreds of young athletes all over the United States. He is widely considered 'the man' when it comes to training athletes. Here's what Pat had to say about the 'Coaching Cues for Max Performance' portion of my Complete Athlete Development system:

"If you think like I used to, you likely believe that the 'training' portion of your program is the most important part of working with young athletes.

I was wrong and so are you.

Brian showed me exactly how to motivate my athletes in a way that changed everything about the way they trained and performed. The results I have seen since instituting Brian's 'Coaching Cues for Max Performance' has been literally breathtaking. I just can't get over how these simple coaching tips have led to so much positive change!!"

Still think that the latest 'speed training drill' or strength training technique' is all it takes?

And don't forget, Complete Athlete Development is now available for a FULL 25% DISCOUNT.

Click here now to get your full 25% discount:

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/netcart.a...oductID=3972155

- 4 Hours worth of DVD footage
- Sample Training Programs for young athletes 6 - 18
- Training Templates so you can create programs for yourself
- 200+ pages of reading material
- Over 100+ exercise photographs
- More than 10+ hours of audio interviews
- Speed, Strength, Flexibility, Agility and more...

All for 25% off!

Take advantage of this offer until January 28, 2008.
Here's that 25% off link again:

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/netcart.a...oductID=3972155

'Till next time,


Brian]]> Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:21:17 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1275 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1265
Specializing in soccer, baseball or basketball from the time you can walk will not mean that you become an elite competitor or be able to earn a college scholarship.

In fact, it means the exact opposite.

More than most people realize, playing only one sport and concentrating on becoming proficient in all the aspects of that sport from a young age will actually DECREASE the chance of a young athlete becoming elite.

Becoming an elite athlete is about having SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

It's about ATHLETIC DIVERSITY.

It's about experiencing different kinds of sports and learning different kinds of skills.

And it has nothing, NOTHING to do with specialization.

In fact, early sport specialization is the single greatest mistake that Parents, Coaches and Trainers make when trying to produce world-class athletes.

Do you want to know EXACTLY which sports ALL kids should play?

Do you want to find out what coaching strategies MUST be present in order for your young athlete to become great?

Do you want to know which training programs HAVE to be part of a young athletes development?

Then head over to my blog right now and read this very important message.

The success of your young athlete depends on it...

www.developingathletics.com

And always, Schann, leave a comment to let me know what you think!

'Till next time,

Brian]]> Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:15:50 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1265 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1264
Testing Young Athletes.

Why do we do it?

Seriously.

What is the sense of testing a 10 year old athlete?

What kind of data are we expecting to generate that will prove helpful in planning future training programs and sessions?

This is the question you have to ask yourself before you even think about testing a kid.

And please don't say "to see how well my training program has worked so far", Schann!!

Kids improve at different rates and for different reasons than adults.

Does that make sense?

If you take the average 10 year old athlete who is virtually 'untrained', and then train them with speed, strength or power work for a few weeks...

... OF COURSE THEY ARE GOING TO IMPROVE!

That's not necessarily because the training program was so well designed, though.

It's because at certain ages throughout our youth, our bodies improve as a matter of growth.

Meaning - it doesn't matter WHAT the training program was, the kid is going to get better!

I just finished writing an article for you about 'Testing Young Athletes' that I think is going to really open your eyes about this topic.

Here's a link to the article:


http://www.developingathletics.com

'Till next time, Schann!


Brian]]> Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:58:00 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1264